A common problem in chemical reaction processes is how to achieve the proper hydrodynamics in the reactor to efficiently produce the desired products. In evaporators, for example, non-uniform evaporation of a fluid against the heat transfer surface causes unwanted drying and scaling about the heat transfer surface. For example, as evaporation takes place in conventional thin film reactors, the film thickness of the liquid film undergoing evaporation is continuously reduced. In extreme cases, the reduction in the film thickness creates a dry spot, which eventually results in scaling of the heat transfer surface evaporate surface and corrosion.
Accordingly, there is a need for a thin film reactor with a design that can provide substantially uniform thin film distribution of the fluid or material to be evaporated or condensed onto the heat transfer surface, that can reduce drying or scaling of the fluid precipitate over the heat transfer surface, and that can provide relatively high transport rates, while providing high throughputs.